Attachment for nailing machines



M. WHALEN ATTACHMENT FOR NAILING MACHINES Filed July 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOR NFYS Dec. 7 1926. 1,610,113

M. WHALEN ATTORNEYS .Patented Bec. 7, 1926.

Miei-rant afi-Interi, or venir, iv. Y.

ATTACHDIEET .FCR NAELING- MACHENES.

Application inea iuiy i925. serial No. 45,339.

rlhis invention pertains to nailing machines, and has particular reference to 'an attachment for nailing machines employed in the manufacture ot Wooden boxes or shipping cases. f y

llt the presenttime in nailing together the sides and ends ot a box on'a nailing inachine, the operator must of necessity hold the vends olf the box against the ace ot the machine and gage, and, at' the saine time, hold the side in juxtaposition 'to the end prior to and during the nailing operation ot the machine. Usually the operator is furnished With a helper tor holding the end in position While the operator applies and holds the side in juxtaposition to the end.

is an object, therel'ore, the invention coinprehends a device consisting of an attachment for the nailing machine, which is operableby the initial movement ot the actuating means for" the nail-driving' mechanism tor engaging and holding the box end against the tace of the machine and the gage While the operator manually-positions and holds the side of the box in juxtaposition thereto prior to and during the nailing operation.

The invention particularly contemplates a device of this character which includes a sivingable arm operable by the initial movement of the actuating means or the naildriving mechanism in Which the arm is provided with means to allow for al suilicient yieldability or give to prevent damage to the box end or to the operator of the machine should any part of his person be disposed. in the path of movement oli the arm during its movement to active position or its return movement.

The invention furthermore comprehends means for adjusting the throw of the arm to active position whereby to compensate ior the variation in the thickness ot thebox ends. i

as a iurther object the invention compiehends in a device oi the character described,

means carried by the free end of the arm.

Ylor engagement with the box endA whichV assumes a parallel position With respectfto the which is thoroughly reliable and highly etlicient in its purpose.

lfitli the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following nation and drawings iii which there is soecJ L v exhibited onecxample or embodiment ot the ii'ivention which is in no way intended as :a limitation upon the scope ot the appended claims as it is to be clearly understood that variations and modilications which properly tall Within the scope ot' said claims may be resorted to when found expedient.

ln the drawingsvl1`igi'iie l is a fragmentary side View of a box-nailing machine equipped with an attachm int constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating the same in its active position; f

lfig.` 2 isa similar view on an enlarged scale, illustrating the position of the box and engaging arm prior to the swinging. of the same to its active position;

F ig. 3 isa sectional plan view/taken' ap-V proximately on the line 5 3 oit Fig. 2, illustrating, respectively, in full and dotted lines, the position or the arm in its active engaged position and its inactive disengaged position; Y

Fig. 4 is a. -lragmentaryp sectional plan view oli thel safety joint or connection between the. arm and actuating means, to illustrate the manner inl which the yieldability or give is accomplished Fig. 'is a sectional plan view through the safety oint taken appioximately'on the line 5--5 of Fig.

VReferring to the drawings by characters of reference, A designates a portion ot the frame ci' the machine having cross plates B against which the end members C and side members D of the box are adapted. to be'vengaged. The nail plunger head E carrying the nail plungers F is mounted for vertical movement on the machine frame' A. in the usual manner for driving the nails fed through the naill feed chutes G, to the nail guide openings H.A

rlhe device constituting anattachment for `he nail-driving machine, consists essentially of a forked or biturcated bearing member l0, the vertically spaced urcations'll and 12 of which are vprovided with alined apertures to receive.therethrough a pivot or fulcrum vpin 13 upon which the inner end of the arm 14 is fulcrumed for horizontal swinging movement and upon which the superimposed bell cranks 15 and 16 are mounted also for swinging movement. lhe arm 14 is formed with a vertical beveled shoulder 17 on its upper face and the lower bell crank 15 is provided with a complementary vertical beveled shoulder 18 on the under face of its branch 19. The arm 14 is formed with an ear 2O and a coiled contractile spring 21 is connected respectively at its opposite ends with the ear 2O and with the free end of the branch 22 of the bell crank 15, whereby the said spring 21 normally exerts a tension to effect interengageinent of the shoulders 17 and 18. The bell crank 15 is further provided on the upper face of itsl arm 19 with a vertical shoulder 28 and the bell crank 16 is formed on the under face of its branch 24 with a comlrilementary vertical shoulder 25. which shoulders 23 and 25 are normally and yieldably maintained in engagement by means of a coiled contractile spring` 26 connected respectively at its opposite ends to the free end of the branch 24 and to the ear 20. The opposite branch 27 of the bell crank 16 is pivotally connected at 28 with a connecting bar 29, which is in turn pivotally connected at its opposite end, as at 30, to

a yoke 31 between the knuckles 32 thereof Tle yoke 31 is formed with a series or plurality of transverse longitudinally spaced apertures 83 adapted to respectively riline with the apertured bifurcated lower terminal of the lower arm of the bell crank 36, to receive through said alined apertures a set screw 37, whereby the yoke may be adjustably associated with the bifurcated terminal of the lower bell crank arm 85. rlhe remaining upper arm 38 of the bell crank has pivoted thereto, as at 89, a rock arm 40, which is connected by pin-and-slot connection 41 and 42 to the nail plunger head E for swinging the bell crank 86 on its fulcrum 43.

A coiled contractile spring 44 is connected at its opposite terminals, respectively, to the upper bell crank arm 38 and to a member 45 on a stationary part of the ma.- chine .for normally effecting a return swinging movement of the bell crank arm to a normal position after each nailing operation of the machine. A shoe 46 is pivotally attached as at 47 to the free end of the arm 14, and said shoe is provided with a slotted extension 48, through the slot of which a stop rod 49 extends to limit the return outward swinging movement of the shoe under the inuence of a coiled contractile spring 50, which is connected respectively to the lug 51, and to the arm 14. Under this arrangement it isobvious that the shoe will engage throughout its length the outer face of the box end irrespective of the angular' disposition of the arm 14 with respect thereto7 so that when adjustment of the yoke is effected to compensate for varia- `|ion in the thickness of the box ends, the shoe will insure a fiat engagement with the lof; end to hold the saine in position imnediatel;Y prior to and during the nailing operation.

.in use and opertion. the initial downw ward movement of the nail 'plunger head E, when actuated by the operator, will effect a rearward swingingmovement of the upper arm 88 of the bell crank lever 86, three;1 the medium of the rock arm 4 0, which in turn will swing the lower arm 35 of the bell crank lever in a forward direction t0 cause the yoke 81 pivotally attached to the connecting bnr 29, to swing the branch of the upper bell crank 16 to which it is attached, in a left-hand direction. The branch 24 of tie bell crank 16 connected by the coiled contractile spring 26 to the ear 2O of the arm 14, will swing said arm toward the left and rearwardly to cause the shoe to engage and hold the box end in flatconte-.ct with the f race of the machine and in a rigid position while the operator holds the side D of the box in juxtaposition with the upper edge of the end immediately prior to and during the nailing operation of the machine. The spring 21 which connects the ear 2O of the arm 14, with the branch 22 of the bell crank 15, will cause the bell crank 15 to move in unison with the arm and cell crank 16.

lf the operator ot the machine by any chance should dispose partof his person in the path of movement of the arm and shoe while the same is swinging to an active position, the tension of the springs 26 and 50 will. be such as te prevent injury to the operator while the springs 50 and also serve to cushion the shock incident to the swinging of the arm to engaging position with the boi; end C to prevent injury thereto. Y

After the nailing operation of the machine is completed and the nail plunger head ll moves upwardly, the spring 44 will function to swing the upper arm 38 of the bell crank lever 36 forwardly, yand the lower arm thereof rearwardly Ato exert a pull on the connecting bar 29, which in turn will swing the branch 27 of the upper bell crank 11 toward the right, which by virtue of theinterengagement of the shoulder 25 with 'the shoulder of the lower hell crank 15, will cause such lower bell crank to be swung the left in unison t The therewith. i 21 connected with the branch iu the bell crank 15 and with the ear 2() of the ai n1 14, will function to swing the arm forwardly and to the right to its normal inactive position. ln event the operator dispos/es Aan;Y part of his person in the path of n1 ment of the arm when the saine is swing to its normally inactive position, the spring 2l will cushion the shock and prevent serious injury. y

From the foregoing it will thus be seen that the attachment devised enables a single operator for each machine, kto accomplishV practical-ly the same amount of work as has heretofore been accomplished by an operator furnished with a helper; whereas, on the other hand, an operator and helper may accomplish considerably more work in a given length of time.

TWhat is claimed is:

l. A device constituting an attachment for nailing machines, comprising an element normally disposed in a position at one side and beyond the conlines of the face ofthe machine and movable to an active position overlying said face for engaging and holding one of the members to be nailed against the said machine face in a proper relation to the nailing mechanism prior to and during the nailing operation, and an operativeY connection between the nailing-mechanismactuating means and the element fory moving the same to its active position.

2. A device constituting an attachment for nailing machines, comprising a swingable element normally disposed in a position atrone side and beyond the confines of the face of the machine and movable to an active position overlying said face for engaging and holding one of the members to be nailed against the said machine face in a proper relation to the nailing mechanism prior to and during the nailing operation, and an operative connection between' the nailing-mechanism-actuating means and the element for moving the same to its active position. v

3. A device constituting an attachment for nailing machines, comprising a swingable arm normally disposed in an inactive position wholly disposed outside of the ycontines of the face oic the machine and movable to an active position within the confines of said 'face and overlying the same for engaging and holding one oi' the members to be nailed against the said machine face in a proper relation to the nailing mechanism immediately prior to and during the nailing operation, and a connection between the actuating means for the nailing mechanism and said arm for moving the same from its inactive to its active position.

4l. A device constituting an attachment for nailing machines, comprising a swingable arm normally disposed in an inactive position and movable to an activeV position for engaging and holding one ot the members to be nailed in a proper relation to the nailing mechanism immediately prior to and during the nailing operation, and a connection between the actuating meansfor the nailing mechanism and said arm for moving the same from its inactive to its active position, said means of connection including means for'permitting yieldability ot the arm duringits swinging movements in opposite d1- -rections 5. A device constituting an attachment for nailing machines, comprising a swingable arm normally disposed in an inactive durin its swin in movements in o ositev directions, and a foot element carried `by the free extremity of the arm and connected thereto to permit of a flat engagement of the foot element irrespective olf the angular disposition of the arm.

6. The combination with a box-nailing machine including a vertically movable nail plunger head, of a horizontally swingable arm Amounted on the frame of the machine and normally disposed in an inactive position outside of the contines of the face of the machine, and mechanism connected with the arm and operable by the initial downward movement `of the plunger head for swinging the arm to an active position within the contines and overlying the face of the machine to engage andl hold the boX end against said face of the machine in a. lproper position to receive the nails.

7. The combination with a box-nailing machine including a vertically movable nail plunger head, of a horizontally swingable arm mounted on the frame of the machine, and mechanism connected with the arm and operable by the initial downward' movement of the plunger head for swinging the arm to av position to engage and hold the box end against the'i'ront of the machine in a proper position to receive the nails, said mechanism including a bell crank lever, a rock' arm connecting one ofthe bell crank arms with the nail plunger head, a horizontal kbell crank lever having one or' its branches connected with the opposite arm of the bell crank lever and its opposite branch resiliently connected with the swingable arm, la subterposed bell crank lever having a shoulder' on one of its branches, a complementary shoulder on the last-inentioned branch of the horizontalv bell crank lever, and a spring connection between the remaining branch of the subterposed bell crank lever and the swingable arm.

S. The combination with a box-nailing machine including a vertically movable nail f plunger head, ci a horizontally swingable erm mounted on the iframe oi thev nmclline,A

und meelioniem connected with the Li-ni and operable by tlie initial lowuwaro movement of tbe plunger lieaaliior Swinging the erin to a position to e und liold the box eurl against the ifi-ont of lille liiaeliine in n proper position to receive the nailsy Said mechanism including' a bell crank lever, u roel; arm connecting one of tbe bell Crunk arms with the mail. longer bead, av horizontal bell crunk lever having one olf its branches connected with the opposite erin oli the bell Crank lever und its opposite Leitrim branch resiliently connected with the swingable arm, a subte'rposecl bellV Crank lever having u shoulder on one of its branches, n, romplelnentary shoulder on the last-mentioned brunch of the horizontal bell Crank lever, a spring connection between tlle remaining branch of the Subte'rposecl bell Crank lever und the swingable erin, and e yieldeble shoe carried by the swingable arm for fmt Contact With the boi; end irrespective of the angular disposition of Jdie Swingable arm with respect to tlieubox end.

MICHAEL VVHALEN; 

